The Stars Look Very Different Today
by OliviaR5Warbler
Summary: Set immediately after I'm Floating in a most peculiar way this short story explores Tilly's first day after losing her memories


The Stars Look Very Different Today

Paul and Hugh remained holding one and other, outside of Tilly's room, checking on her once more before retiring to their bedroom. Paul moved to log out of his PADD when he caught the stardate. He cursed, quietly, though it still caught Hugh's attention. "What's wrong?" Hugh asked.

"The stardate. Or, more specifically, what it will be tomorrow," he showed Hugh the PADD. He knew that date, he'd seen it so many times in Tilly's medical records over the passed months. In the morning, when she woke, changed forever, it would be her birthday, in her mind, she would be turning six. "I'm surprised her younger self never mentioned."

"I think even younger Tilly had a lot on her mind," Hugh said. "I know it's short notice, but let's see what we can do," Hugh smiled, putting a hand on his husband's shoulder. After a quick message, gaining permission to do so, Paul and Hugh were able to replicate some small items for Tilly. Paul also ordered something, to arrive where they were next booked for shore-leave; which was coming up soon. Finally, they got a cake replicated and some candles for the morning.

Neither Paul nor Hugh got much sleep that night. Paul rolled over to find Hugh's eyes looking at him; a sad smile present in the glow of the alarm clock. "Do- do you think it chose this date specifically?" He asked quietly. "Whatever it is that did this?"

"I don't know," Hugh replied softly, "but it is awfully convenient." Paul laid on his back and manoeuvred his arm under Hugh's shoulders, falling asleep some way into the sleep cycle.

_Sylvia Tilly was having a strange dream. She thought it was strange because in her dream she was big and grown-up, when really, she wasn't grown-up at all. She was in a strange world with someone called May. May was shouting, Tilly's brow furrowed, confused. She had thought May was her friend, friends don't shout at each other. Suddenly she heard distant voices, they were familiar, and they were singing. _

"_Happy birthday too you…"_

Tilly squeezed her eyes shut, resisting waking. She rubbed her eye with her fist as the lights in her room brightened. Pushing herself up to sit she felt her mattress dip, opening her eyes she was met with lit candles. That's it, it was her birthday!

"Happy birthday Tilly."

"Blow out the candles and make a wish," her daddy told her. Taking a deep breath Tilly made a wish and blew out the six candles. As she smiled she looked at the faces of her daddy and Hugh, they were smiling but they also looked sad. "What'd you wish for?"

"I can't tell you daddy," Tilly giggled, "then it won't come true." Paul smiled.

"Of course, how silly of me," he countered. "So we aren't working today, what would you like to do for your special day?"

"I would like for us to spend the day together," Tilly told them.

"I think that can certainly be arranged," Hugh answered. "And what should we do together?"

"Anything," Tilly said grinning, she always loved exploring Discovery. "Oh, actually can we go somewhere to see the stars and to see where you work daddy?"

"We can indeed, why don't you choose some clothes while we get breakfast ready?"

"OK," Tilly agreed excited.

After a special breakfast of birthday cake and milk Paul and Hugh left their quarters, Tilly skipping and holding one each of their hands. First, they went to the Spore Drive, after remembering her previous reaction to the room. Once there, Tilly was full of questions for Paul about what everything was for. He smiled, she hadn't lost her love for science. She paused, watching someone leave the Cultivation Bay with a fresh tube of spores. Paul bent down to ask her softly: "you wanna go inside?" Tilly turned, her face glowing with excitement as she nodded, taking her father's outstretched hand. Paul looked to his husband, "you wanna come?"

Hugh looked at the doors, he hadn't come into contact with the spores since his time in the Network and from there, he remembered the stinging as they tried to break him down. He'd spoken about this much with Lindsay, his councillor. He nodded and smiled at Paul, it was time for him to face his fears.

Knowing Tilly's breath signature was still in the system Paul lifted her to unlock the airlock between them and the spores. Once inside they watched as the second doors opened, revealing the large Cultivation Bay. "You can look but don't touch the plants," Paul reminded Tilly, allowing her to go exploring. Paul reached his hand behind him, searching for Hugh, squeezing his hand in a comforting gesture. Hugh smiled and stepped into place beside Paul. He held his hand up, a couple of spores landed on him, but they didn't sting, he smiled.

Tilly giggled as they began landing on her, they smiled at her. Paul squeezed his hand again and started walking. They walked through the bay, it was bigger than Hugh had expected it to be and it was beautiful. "We should go," Paul said, not long after. "Prolonged exposure isn't good for you two. I'm OK because of my modified DNA but I'd rather not risk you guys." He explained to Hugh. They collected Tilly and left engineering to find it was almost lunch time. They ate in the Mess, talking -mainly Tilly asking every question she could think of about the Spore Drive.

"Hi Michael," Tilly said as Michael paused by their table.

"Hi Tilly, Commander, Dr Culber," she said. They invited her to sit with them. Paul had sent messages to key people, letting them know Tilly had fully reverted and would have altered memories of everyone, so people they were likely to run into were not caught off-guard.

"Oh, before I forget," Michael pulled a paper-wrapped package from her duty-bag. "Happy birthday Tilly," she said.

Tilly's face lit up, "thank you Michael, but you didn't have to get me anything," she said.

"Well I wanted to, go ahead, open it up." Tilly looked to her dad who nodded that she could. It was an actual book copy of Alice in Wonderland, like the one Michael herself possessed.

"Thank you Michael! Look daddy, a real book," Tilly ran her fingers over the paper edges in wonder. Real books were harder to come across, especially in space.

"You're very welcome," Michael told her. "If you'd like I could read it to you, those evenings I usually watch you?"

"I'd love that, thank you," Tilly knelt on her chair and hugged Michael.

"If you still need me to, that is," she added, looking at Paul and Hugh. Michael had watched Tilly when she was in her reverted state on evenings that Paul had to work the later shift change-over and Hugh had his counselling.

"That would be brilliant, thanks Michael," Paul said. "Can you still do tomorrow night?" Michael agreed, and they continued eating their lunch, Tilly explaining what they had done so far for her birthday.

"And later we're going to the observation bay, so I can see the stars." Tilly told her.

After lunch they returned to their quarters and Tilly put away her new book. Paul and Hugh gave her the few things they had managed to get together after remembering it was her birthday and they watched a movie before going to the observation bay. It had a reinforced dome that would uncover at the request of a crew-member and it was large. Paul and Hugh brought blankets and a replicated picnic for them to eat under the stars, including birthday cake.

The observation bay was empty when they arrived. Hugh set up the dome to open while Paul and Tilly laid out the blankets and pillows for them to sit on. Before the dome opened Tilly laid on the floor and covered her eyes. "Tell me when to look," she said to Paul, who waited for the artificial lighting to dim before instructing her. Tilly opened her eyes to a sea of stars. Discovery wasn't at Warp, they were in orbit around a moon a team were collecting samples from, so there were billions of stars on display. Paul and Hugh laid either side of her and they talked until they were ready to eat their picnic. Hugh set the lights to the lowest setting, so the stars were still the main feature while they ate.

"I think I know what I wanna be when I grow up," Tilly announced to them as they returned to watching the stars, Paul and Hugh on either side of Tilly.

"Do tell," Paul smiled.

"I'm gonna be a Star Fleet Captain," Tilly said, "but first I wanna do what you do daddy, so I know how my ship works," she explained. Paul's smile spread, although she was younger, Tilly was still Tilly. "But after that, I wanna explore the stars."


End file.
